


wishing it was you

by flickerwing



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Crying, Feels, M/M, One Shot, Rejection, Sad, Sad Ending, Unrequited, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-10-26 02:58:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10778079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flickerwing/pseuds/flickerwing
Summary: It was a routine mission, nothing special. That's what it should've stayed. It should’ve been professional. But Keith had kissed Lance, and what a long time coming it had been.[A short bit based on the song by K. Flay.]





	wishing it was you

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the song 'Wishing It Was You' by K. Flay and the Klance animation by Shieru (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJh1hLhsnDI).

They were in the middle of a hot battlefield. Red, coarse dirt shook loose with every step and lunge they took, shrouding the impossibly dark sky with dust. Illuminated only by their glowing armour and the dormant castle ship looming above them, they fought a small group of Galra soldiers on a barren plain which had once belonged to the Trayan people. It was a routine mission, nothing special. That's what it should've stayed. It should’ve been professional.

But Keith had kissed Lance, and what a long time coming it had been.

Something had slashed at Keith’s armour on his right side and he let out a yelp of surprise, to which Lance, from a few metres away, responded immediately by shooting the Galra soldier behind him. Keith nodded in appreciation and continued to parry, block and slash at the remaining enemies who were steadily closing in. He walked backwards to give himself room for each new attack until he felt his back press up against Lance's. Now, they were well and truly boxed in by soldiers.

"Shiro, we need backup!" He shouted into his helmet.

"We're on our way!" Pidge replied.

The two of them bumped backs hard and Lance stepped right on Keith’s heel, barely missing the slice of a dagger.

"This isn’t working!" Lance yelled, frustrated. "Take the left!"

"Got it," Keith panted back.

He darted to the left, now fighting the soldiers coming for Lance’s sides. He sliced them down as quickly as he could. The sound of bodies crashing to the ground made Keith's stomach crawl, yet he welcomed each thump and puff of dust. He looked around at the remaining soldiers. They crowd was thinning out quite quickly. They probably didn't even need backup anymore.

Keith stabbed his sword through the last Galra on his left, swiftly removing it to help Lance get rid of their remaining enemies. He returned to a defensive stance, holding his sword before him threateningly.

But it was just the two of them left.

Lance wiped his brow and smirked at Keith, whose face flushed. He quickly removed his helmet and shook his thoughts away, trying not to watch Lance's broad shoulders rise and fall with heavy breaths.

"We are a good team!" Lance laughed, taking off his helmet.

Keith rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly and diverted his gaze. He couldn't help but be reminded of the last time Lance had said that to him. He also couldn't help but notice the way Lance's hair, now in soft curls because of his sweat, rested perfectly at the top of his armour’s collar, and how the soft light of the stars gleamed off his tanned face. He looked positively angelic in this lighting.

"Hey, you alright buddy?" Lance asked, grabbing his shoulder.

Lance's eyes were full of slight concern, and such a softness that Keith had never known before. He closed his mouth tightly and tried to look away, but Lance followed his gaze.

"Are you hurt?” He asked, “I didn't notice-"

The feeling he had been suppressing suddenly broke free, and with a final _fuck_ it, Keith pulled Lance into a long desired kiss by the nape of his neck. He pressed his lips ever so softly to Lance's, like a butterfly accidentally brushing against bare skin, and held there for a moment. He didn't want to ask or expect too much, and he had never done _anything_ like this before. Although, what was he afraid of? He knew how Lance felt about guys...

Lance pulled away slowly, and Keith let his arm drop. Lance’s face was hard to read. Was he... speechless? Surprised?

"Woah," was all he said.

"Keith!" Shiro's voice rang out over the plain, followed shortly by the trudging footsteps of the other paladins.

Keith swallowed hard and felt heat rush to his ears. He gave a wide wave to Shiro and yelled, somewhat shakily, "Over here!"

They rushed over ready for conflict, but then saw the fallen soldiers.

"You got all these guys by yourself?" Hunk asked, disbelieving.

Lance blinked a couple times at Keith and then grinned, "Yeah. Yeah, we did."

They walked back to their lions as a group, eager to receive their praise from Allura and start celebrating with the alien citizens already up in the castle. They were practically bubbling with joy, which was typical after a long day of fruitful work. Keith watched on as Hunk and Pidge laughed at Lance’s over exaggeration of their success in battle, a small smile fighting its way through his cold façade.

"You alright?" Shiro asked.

Keith nodded and tried to suppress a blush as he recalled what happened just minutes ago. Who would've thought? Lance and him...

After parking Red in her hangar, he searched for Lance. Blue was already there, which meant hehad joined the party. Keith sped through the hallways, eager to pull him aside and talk about what had happened. In the sea of foreign aliens drinking and dancing, he saw a familiar flash of blue armour. He pushed through the crowd, stepping on tails and mumbling apologies. Lance turned around to face him, and the smile he wore faltered.

"Hey, Keith," he said, stopping him before he could say anything. “We should… uh…”

He looked around warily and again grabbed Keith's shoulder, just like before. Keith blushed profusely, remembering how impulsive his decision had been. Lance led them up the stairs of the main hall until they were at one of the small connecting landings. He sighed and rubbed his face. Slowly, he reached towards Keith, and wrapped both his arms around him. Keith hugged him tightly, burying his hot, embarrassed face into Lance’s shoulder pad.

“Keith, listen…” he whispered, “I’m glad we met that night when we found Shiro. I’m glad I found you.”

Keith opened his mouth to reply, but Lance quieted him with a deep look and continued.

“But only as a friend," Lance said, his voice quiet and uncertain.

Keith lifted his head from Lance’s shoulder, blinking hard. Lance loosened his grip around Keith, who was now clenching his hands at his sides. He stared at the floor, his chest panging with an indescribable feeling.  _Was it loss?_ He willed himself to breathe, only then becoming aware that he had been holding his breath. Cold and unbelieving, he turned to look at Lance. It was some kind of joke, he was sure. _Had Lance not felt what he had?_  He lifted his head, intent on finding out, but Lance had already begun to walk down the steps. In a flash, the coldness in Keith's body turned to white-hot heat. His heart pounded in his chest and he yelled out before he could stop himself.

“Lance!” His shaking voice boomed over the sound of the music and the chatter, and if he had cared enough to look around at the scene he was making, he would have seen his friends look over in concern. But he didn’t care – he was confused. _Angry_.

Lance turned around slowly and looked at Keith with anticipation.

“Where do you get off on this crap?” Keith whispered, walking down the steps until he was standing just above the blue paladin.Keith tightened the fists by his sides and clenched his jaw so hard it hurt. He was vaguely aware of a stinging behind his eyes.

Shiro was trying to navigate through the crowd to defuse what he was sure was another petty argument. Lance looked around, noticing this, along with the nervous murmurs of the crowd. His face went red and he looked up at Keith apprehensively. Clumsily, Keith stumbled down the last few steps and grabbed him by the sides of his armour.

“I just-" Keith began, "Say you never felt it too,” he whispered. His voice was tight, as if every word hurt him.

Lance took another step down, pulling Keith’s arms away from him and looking away. His face was bright red, and for the first time Keith had ever known him, he had no smart remark or joke to lighten the air. The room had quietened, and Shiro stopped at the base of the stairs, staring. The tension in the room was thick, Keith’s last words echoing in his own head. The silence was deafening.

He straightened his back. He wouldn't be pathetic about this. He wouldnt pursue it. He just needed to know. “Look me in the eye, Lance," Keith said, his voice as steady as he could muster.

Lance lifted his eyes slowly and met Keith's gaze. “I’m sorry, buddy," he said, his voice ravaged with guilt.

Keith let his shoulders drop. He looked up and was finally aware of his surroundings. A hundred strangers' faces stared at him. Each one questioning and imposing on this rare moment of vulnerability. Keith was filled with humiliation. Then, he saw Shiro’s concerned face over Lance’s shoulder and felt something else. The back of his eyes burned.

“Okay,” he replied, his voice cracking.

Lance stared at him with pity. Keith set his jaw, straightened his shoulders and looked about the room at the crowd.  _Show's over,_ he spat at them in his mind. With a final nod, as if deciding something, Keith turned around just in time to hide the tears that had begun to wet his cheeks. As he silently strode out of the packed room, he cursed himself for being an idiot - for embarassing himself - and remembered an old thought.

Love was something he could live without.

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to leave feedback for me so I know what to do better next time I write - and let me know what you liked about this one shot! Thanks so much for reading!


End file.
